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12/22/06
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7 THE EXCLUSION GAME
What to do
Aim
To enable participants to
experience exclusion and
domination in a safe
environment encouraging
empathy and solidarity with
others
Time
30 minutes
Materials
Sheets of sticky dots in
three different colours
■ Divide participants into three groups. Place a dot on the forehead
of each participant: Red for one group, Green for another and
Blue for the third.
■ Tell participants that Greens are all in their 30s and 40s and that
they have all the power. Give them chairs to sit on and sweets. Tell
the Reds that they are all over 65 years old and to stand together
with their noses touching one wall and not to look around or talk.
Tell Blues that they are all under 18 and that they must do exactly
what the Greens say. You can give Greens some suggestions for
instruction such as hop on one leg, do press ups, make animal
noises, pretend to be elephants.
■ Repeat with Blues being in their 30s and 40s and having all the
power, Reds being under 18 years old and following Blues
instructions and Greens being over 65 years old with the noses
against a wall.
■ Repeat with Reds being in their 30s and 40s and having all the
power, Greens being under 18 years old, following their
instructions and Blues being over 65 years old with noses against
the wall.
■ Bring the group back together in a circle. Ask all participants to
remove the dots from their head and to shake out their arms and
legs taking deep breaths.
It is important to ensure participants shake out any anger built up in
the game and have the opportunity to discuss how the game made
them feel.
Discussion Questions
■ How did each participant feel at each stage of the game?
■ Does this game reflect how people of different ages are treated in
Ireland? How are young people treated? How are old people
treated?
■ What other groups in Ireland experience exclusion?
■ Where does exclusion and oppression like this happen around the
world?